


Stay the Night

by bri_notthecheese



Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, behold some angst and some cute, these two have ruined my life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 02:29:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11957847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bri_notthecheese/pseuds/bri_notthecheese
Summary: Nadine stays at Chloe’s place the night before they go on their first official treasure hunt as partners. And what would a time like that be without some drinks and Nadine cooking breakfast in the morning?





	Stay the Night

**Author's Note:**

> I knew I loved the idea of this ship when the game was first announced, but man I did not think it would be taking over my life. But it also kicked my butt back into writing so there's that.  
> Dedicated to [midnightanddiamonds](http://midnightanddiamonds.tumblr.com) on Tumblr (and on here) for being amazing and the pages and pages of Chlodine headcanons and discussions we have, some of which have been included in this!

The sun barely crested the horizon- its warm rays just beginning to streak across the opened blinds, and yet Nadine Ross was awake and fully dressed.

 Preparing breakfast.

 In Chloe Frazer’s kitchen.

Initially they were going to grab breakfast on the go, but Nadine had woken up much earlier than planned, so she figured she might as well make the most of it. Time management and all. Besides Fraz--- _Chloe_ would benefit from using up the food before they left. Neither was sure how long this next adventure might take, and spoiled food would not be a welcome smell when they returned.

It was a strange thing, cooking in her new partner’s kitchen _._

Exploring the fridge and pantry had been fun. What initially looked like a mess to Nadine ultimately ended up being some kind of organization method, but in a strangely confusing way. _A lot like Chloe,_ she smiled fondly. That seemed to happen almost every time she thought of the thief. Nadine knew why, but it was much easier to shove those thoughts away and return to cooking breakfast.

Luckily she had found two pans and the single pot that Chloe owned, and each held a different ingredient on the four-burner stove. Potatoes were currently boiling in the pot and the adjacent pan contained the scrambled eggs. Tomato sauce sizzled in the third.

Nadine glanced towards Chloe’s bedroom door. She hoped she had slept well. Nadine certainly hadn’t. The couch had been comfortable enough and her blanket warm, but her thoughts and emotions had been tumbling around her brain all night due to a certain question Chloe had asked her before they went to sleep.

~x~

“Nadine!”

The closed door muffled the exclamation, but Nadine’s grin grew even larger as she heard the bolt being undone and the lock opened. The door swung open to reveal her new partner Chloe Frazer with a smile on her face that rivaled Nadine’s. Her hair was down and she wore only a tank top with pajama shorts. The colors matched so they must have been a set. Her heart fluttered for a moment, surprised at seeing Frazer looking so…casual.

And so cute.

“It’s good to see you.” Nadine went in for a hug but stopped halfway, as she wasn’t sure if it was okay.

Chloe laughed as she immediately caught on and yanked Nadine into her arms. “C’mere love. We’re partners now. You can’t escape my hugs.”

“Perhaps I should reconsider then,” Nadine said, though made no move to escape the embrace.

“You know you’d miss me.”

Nadine chuckled. “I also miss peace and quiet.”

“Rude.” Chloe swatted her arm playfully and opened the door completely. “Come on in.”

Chloe’s apartment was exactly how Nadine had pictured it; cozy, slightly cluttered, and none of the décor matched. Somehow that seemed to work here. It was cleaner than she expected, but with a quick glance around she could spy random objects hiding under and behind pieces of furniture as if they had been haphazardly stashed. Nadine smiled. The sentiment of Chloe tidying up for her was sweet.

“Alright, shoes can go over there,” Chloe gestured to a corner next to the door. “And for now you can just toss your stuff on the couch. Want something to drink?”

“Water’s fine.” Nadine teetered on one leg as she unlaced her boot.

“Aw, you’re no fun. It’s a special night. You sure you don’t want something better? You do owe me that drink.”

“I don’t think so.” Nadine stood and walked to the next room with Chloe right at her heels.

“You were supposed to tell me about Asav over drinks, but seeing as that can’t happen now, you still owe me.” Chloe plopped onto the couch as Nadine kneeled down and carefully deposited her backpack loaded with supplies next to it. 

“I never agreed to that actually.”

“True, but you never disagreed.” Chloe pouted slightly. “Please?”

Nadine locked eyes with her for a moment before letting out a sigh. “Fine.”

Chloe’s face immediately brightened and her smile turned smirk. “Then what’s your poison tonight, Ross?”

“Surprise me.”

“Adventurous, are we? Oh I’ll have fun with this.” Chloe bounced off the couch and made to head for the kitchen, but Nadine put out her hand and halted her. It brushed Chloe’s thigh, an action that Nadine definitely _did not_ notice.

“Just not something strong, please. We have to leave early in the morning.”

“Oh I know, I know. Don’t worry.”

“With you, how could I not?”

Chloe laughed and returned to the kitchen, already opening various cabinets needed in making their drinks. _How does she always convince me?_ Nadine had wondered this several times in the past two months since India. This was the first they’d seen of each other since then, though they had kept regular contact as they researched their next hunt. Truth be told, the number of times Nadine had thought about Chloe Frazer in a less than professional manner was likely far greater than _several_ , but Nadine figured the details were unimportant.

“Nadine, real quick love, do you like citrus-y things?” Chloe called.

“Ja.” Nadine grabbed some clothes from her pack. “Hey Frazer, where’s the bathroom?”

“Door on your left, and hey,” Chloe turned around to face her. “When you come out, no more of this Frazer business. I know you know how to say my name.”

Nadine smiled. “We’ll see.”

Chloe roller her eyes, sighing dramatically. Nadine chuckled and headed for the bathroom. Once the door was shut, she let out the huge breath she’d been holding. Her heart was racing. She suspected seeing Frazer again might have this effect, and her anticipation must have paid off. Jitters were expected, but it was all going well so far. She’d have to get used to this feeling now that she’d be working with the woman permanently.

And in very close quarters for a while, starting tomorrow.

Shaking it off, Nadine quickly dressed into her own pajamas- a tank top and sweatpants, and headed out.

“Whoa! I didn’t think it was possible for your arms to look even better,” Chloe said, shamelessly eyeing Nadine’s muscles as she walked over from the kitchen.

“Shut up.” Nadine looked away, but she could already feel her own face betraying her.

“Two for two on the blush count,” Chloe smiled, her voice softer than Nadine had expected. She forced herself to meet her gaze. Chloe smirked and Nadine saw the teasing glint in her eye, but there was something else there she couldn’t quite identify.

“Proud of yourself?” Nadine accepted the glass Chloe handed to her.

“Very much, yeah.” Chloe sank down on the couch, curling her legs under her, and patted the seat next to her. Nadine sat, cradling her drink on her lap. She felt Chloe watching her. “What?”

“Aren’t you going to try it?”

“Bossy,” Nadine smiled, but rose the glass to her lips. Flavor exploded in her mouth. She certainly tasted the citrus, but it seemed as if dozens of flavors occupied this concoction. “Shit, that’s good. What is it?”

“My secret formula.” Chloe drank from her glass. “Far less alcohol than usual, as requested, but still just as good.”

“Glad you changed my mind.” Nadine took another sip. “This is all a bit bizarre, isn’t it?”

“Us having drinks?”

“That, and we’re going treasure hunting tomorrow. I don’t think I’ve been this excited for something in a good while.” Nadine couldn’t help but grin at the prospect.

Chloe’s smile widened. “It is all a bit exciting, isn’t it? I think I’d forgotten the feeling for a bit back there.”

“How do you forget?”

“Dunno. Just get used to it, I suppose.”

“I hope I don’t.”

“No,” Chloe gave her that curious look again. “No, China, I don’t think you will.”

They both sat in silence for a few moments, sipping their drinks. Nadine wasn’t sure what to make of Chloe’s last comment, but hearing that nickname again caused those damn warm feelings to course through her.

“Oh!” Nadine set her glass on the table. “I almost forgot.” Chloe’s legs uncurled as she curiously watched Nadine move over to her backpack and rummage through it. “I got you something. Here.”

Nadine held out the gift. Chloe plucked it from the palm of her hand, eyes twinkling as she rolled it over in her fingers.

“An elephant and its calf.” Chloe examined the detailed design of the figure. “It’s beautiful. Nadine, you… thank you. Where did you even find this?”

Nadine ducked her head. “It’s actually just from the zoo. Saw it in the shop on my way out and it made me think of y---yeah. Thought you’d like it. Commemorate our next trip and all that.”

“Are they Indian elephants?”

“They are.”

“Good. Let’s add this to the collection then, shall we?” Chloe rose from the couch, setting her drink next to Nadine’s and made her way over to one of her shelves. Nadine followed. “Do you go to the zoo often?”

“When I can. I like going to new ones since they all have different info boards to read. The one here was pretty nice.”

Chloe turned to face her. “Here?”

“Ja. I got an earlier flight so I could go.”

Chloe mocked hurt. “You should’ve told me.”

Nadine shrugged. “Didn’t know you liked them.”

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never been. You should take me next time, yeah?”

Nadine’s heart skipped a beat. “Ja. Sure.”

She watched as Chloe placed her new elephant figurine alongside her Ganesh and the Queen’s Ruby bracelet. Dozens of other small artifacts littered the shelf and those surrounding it. Nadine stepped closer.

“Collections from your adventures?”

“Yup. I need to do something with all my pictures too, but haven’t gotten around to it.”

“What’s that?” Nadine pointed to a few small pieces of blue rock inside of a tube.

“Ah, yes,” Chloe picked up the tube and shook it. A blue glow emitted from the stones. “I’m not technically supposed to have this so if you ever see Nate, kindly don’t tell him, okay?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. What is it?”

“Here.” Chloe moved behind Nadine’s shoulder and infinitely closer as she placed the small tube in her hand. Nadine could feel Chloe’s breath on her exposed skin. She suppressed a shiver and tried to focus on what Chloe was telling her. “Blue resin.” Chloe’s voice was lower than usual. “Virtually harmless, but don’t go throwing fire at it. Though, that is what helped us get to Shambhalla.”

“You were at Shambhalla?”

“Yeah, I was. Beautiful place. Shame it fell apart.”

“Ja.” Nadine scanned some of the other trinkets on the shelf. She set the resin down and picked up something that reminded her of the Hoysala tokens.

“Now that,” Chloe said, reaching to hold the token as well, “I have no idea what this is. Pretty sure its worthless, or at least not worth much.”

Nadine tried to ignore the fact that Chloe’s hand was wrapped underneath hers. Her body was on fire. She had to focus on getting her words out. “Then why do you have it?”

“Nicked it during a hunt in some crypt in Syria. There were dozens of them there. Figured it’d make a nice souvenir.”

Nadine turned to face her. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m a thief, love. What do you expect?” The words were said slowly, yet Nadine still had trouble catching them. Chloe was so close now. The air had gone from the room and there was hardly any left to breathe.

But it didn’t matter.

Nadine blinked as her brain fought for something to say- anything, but nothing computed. So she settled for smiling softly at the beautiful woman in front of her.

However, her smile quickly broke into a yawn. She desperately tried to stifle it, but it was too late. Chloe giggled before experiencing one of her own, and the moment was lost.

“I think I’m going to be the adult for once and say we call it a night.”

Chloe broke away. Nadine’s breath returned, but the space around her felt significantly colder. “Sounds good.”

It felt far from it.

“Now where do you wanna sleep? Your choice. The couch is pretty comfy, but if you’d rather sleep in a bed, you can share mine.”

Nadine’s blood ran cold. Or did it grow hot? She honestly couldn’t tell in this moment, too many sensations were coursing through her body. What was Frazer asking? Was she simply offering to be kind? Or had everything leading up to this moment been a sign of something more that Nadine had sadly misinterpreted as an illusion based on her desires?

Before she let her mind run too far ahead, Nadine thought about it logically. They were partners. Professionally. In the past, every time she allowed her professional relationships to cross into personal territory, things got messy. And she did _not_ want to mess this up with Frazer. So the couch it was, as much as it pained her to admit.

“I think the couch should be fine. Do you have a blanket I could borrow?” Nadine’s voice was steady, as it damn well should be due to her valiant effort in keeping it that way.

“Sure.”

Chloe disappeared into her bedroom and returned a moment later with a large, plush blanket and a pillow. She handed them to Nadine. “I promise I don’t snore,” she joked, though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Nadine wanted to reassure her that it wasn’t personal. But how the hell could she do that when it had everything to do with it being personal? “I just don’t think we’d get much sleep.”

Chloe’s eyes lit up, a smirk easily playing at the side of her mouth. “Nadine Ross. Is there a double meaning to your words?”

Nadine knew the blush was coming, but she stared Chloe down in spite of it. “You seem like a kicker, and I’d prefer to wait for the trip to start getting bruises.”

Chloe held her gaze a few moments more as if she was a puzzle Chloe was itching to solve. “Okay. Goodnight, Nadine.”

“Goodnight Chloe.”

~x~

“That smells amazing.”

Nadine started and whirled around to find Chloe leaning on the corner of the wall, a fluffy robe over her pajamas. Despite the messy hair and groggy eyes, Nadine’s heart still fluttered at the sight of her.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” Chloe smiled, the same smile Nadine would occasionally see in her dreams. “Morning. How’d you sleep?”

“Not bad. You?”

“Could always be better.” Chloe hummed sleepily as she came to observe Nadine. “What’s all this?”

“Breakfast. I figured since I was awake I could make us something to keep our energy up. Good carbs and all.”

“What’s with the tomato sauce?” Chloe asked, pointing at the saucepan.

“It’s for the potatoes. Using butter would ruin the benefit we’re going for here.”

Chloe made a face. “And that’s good?”

“Ja. I seasoned it. Trust me, it’ll be fine.”

“I always do. What else have you got?”

“Garlic scrambled eggs, toast with peanut butter, and an avocado and tomato salad,” Nadine listed as she pointed to each ingredient she had procured and set on the counter.

“Whoa. I had all this here?”

“Ja, and they’re all still good. I checked.”

“Thanks for the confidence.” Nadine laughed. Chloe’s eyes roamed over everything once more, including Nadine. She sighed. “You’re really making a feast. I’ll have to remember this when I cook for you.”

There it was again. That thrill that shot through Nadine every single time Chloe said something like that. She kept her eyes focused on the food, unsure how to respond.

“Tell you what. I’m gonna go get dressed, and then I’ll come back and help you finish.”

Nadine felt a crackle and spark as Chloe leaned in and quickly pressed a kiss to her cheek. She left without saying another word.

Nadine knew it was cliché, but she couldn’t help but bring her hand up to touch the spot Chloe’s lips had just been. _It’s not my imagination then._

Within the span of these past twelve hours, Nadine realized how difficult it was going to be separating her professional relationship from her personal relationship with Chloe Frazer. But if that’s what Chloe wanted as well…then who was she to deny it?

_This trip is going to be spectacular._


End file.
